Harry sat in the Kitchen with Vira and Ron the next morning, awaiting Daphne's arrival with fervent anticipation.
Ron had been picking at his food for the last five minutes as Daphne was supposed to be here any minute now. Harry assumed Ron had been up all night, with the dark bags under his eyes and slumped shoulders, and he couldn't blame the boy. If Vira had to go for dinner with Voldemort, Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep either.
On the brighter side of things, Dumbledore had written back. He'd said he'd not mention Daphne's name to anyone, but had already brought up both Harry and Vira's names to the Order—Ron's name making an appearance, too. Harry supposed that was as good as they could've hoped, and that they'd be able to sort something out with him upon their return to Hogwarts Castle. Ginny had written back as well, and they were to meet her—with Molly and Arthur's permission—tomorrow afternoon at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry could see Ron was worried about seeing his parents, but was more occupied with whether Daphne would come back with the Dark Mark burned into her arm or not to have expressed his bother.
In the hallway, the Floo roared to life and Daphne emerged through the doorway, pale, shaking and clutching her left arm, moments later. She wore a long sleeved top and her eyes were puffy and red. Ron shot to his feet instantly, taking Daphne in his arms. Harry and Vira shared a look: Daphne never wore long sleeves in summer, which could only mean one thing…
"He's… He's wicked," said Daphne with a quivering breath. "I… I—"
"Shhh," said Ron, "have a seat—do you want anything?"
"A drink… something strong."
Harry summoned a bottle of firewhiskey and a couple glasses to them, charming it to pour each of them a glass. Daphne took a seat at the table next to Ron, who kept his hand on top of hers, stroking it softly.
"Do you want anything else? I can get Kreacher to make something," asked Vira.
"No, that's alright," said Daphne.
"Do you want to speak about it?" asked Ron.
Daphne swirled her drink, then drank it in one fell swoop. The bottle filled it back up the moment it hit the table. "You three need to learn Occlumency," she said after a moment of silence.
"What's that?" asked Ron.
"It's the only effective protection against Legilimency—Mind Reading," said Daphne. "I thought my parents were well-versed Legilimens, but He… lurks, skulks around your mind without a wand… he caresses your every thought. I barely kept him away from our talk about Dumbledore and the Order… and even then I don't know if I did."
Harry took a swig of his drink, unnerved by Daphne's retelling of the man. He'd read about Occlumency and Legilimency somewhere and had been intrigued to learn more, but had never gotten around to it as he'd pursued other things, mostly to do with the curriculum Hogwarts had to offer.
"When I was summoned downstairs, into the dining room, he was just sitting there speaking with my Mother and Father… He spoke elegantly, with a haughty undertone befitting of a Pureblood. He looked just like a normal man…" Daphne shuddered. "A man… not too dissimilar to you, Harry. Dark hair, tall and lean… conventionally attractive to most. Charming at first glance, I can almost see why so many were lured by him… But there's something so warped about him; his eyes were… were this deep, penetrating scarlet. Unnatural is an understatement; they're a perverted imitation of what eyes should be."
Harry would rather have not been compared to such an abhorrent man. Especially when Daphne was so afraid of him, and again he cast a look at Vira, who was sitting with her eyes pinned to her drink. Ron continued to comfort Daphne, and it seemed to have quelled her quivering form—helped by the liquor.
"Astoria wasn't marked…" said Daphne, tears threatening to spill. "But…" she gestured to her left arm before carefully pulling the sleeve up to reveal His mark. It was red, intricate and burned deeply into Daphne's skin. Harry had never imagined it'd have such detail when he'd heard of the stories of the Dark Mark and yet it was an art piece…
The harsh reality they were at war bore down upon them. Two days ago they were laughing and eating pizza; now they were sitting in silence staring at the Mark that had previously been a myth among the general populace. Harry finished his drink and then a second, not noticing Vira's concerned look directed at him.
"He asked about both of you," said Daphne, gesturing to Harry and Vira. "He was keen to know where your allegiances are."
"We thought as much," said Harry slowly. "Prime meat being the last of our names."
"He was particularly interested in your abilities, Harry," said Daphne. "Draco must've mentioned your name at least once—probably more by the way he was asking."
Harry rolled his eyes and Vira snorted. "Oh, Harry, we know! You're no prodigy," said Vira with a mirthful grin.
"I'd have thought Malfoy of all people would've toned it down instead of riding the 'Harry's the next Dumbledore' train."
Ron sent a stinging jinx Harry's way. "Stop the self-pity party, we have more to worry about than if Malfoy thinks you're Merlin reincarnate."
"Sorry," said Harry, rubbing his arm.
Daphne waved him off. "He was more interested in getting you two to pledge your allegiance to him than almost anything else—I think that's why he wanted me… My parents, they've been marked since the first war. I'm the easiest way to get to the two of you."
"So we're fucked?" asked Vira.
"... He's hard to say no to," said Daphne. "I can imagine only Dumbledore rivals his power… I'd not want to get on the wrong side of his judgement."
"Why don't we hide for a few years until Harry can catch up?" asked Ron in a half-joking but semi-serious tone.
Harry returned a stinging jinx to Ron. "It'll take me decades before I rival him in an equal duel. So, unless we don't want to be named targets once the war breaks out, we'll have to take the Mark."
"Did he say when he'd approach us?" asked Vira.
"He was only asking about you, nothing more than that. If I were to guess it'd be sooner rather than later."
Harry sighed. He couldn't say Ron's plan wasn't tempting. They could hide out in Grimmauld Place, hidden under the Fidelius Charm for a while with Kreacher continuing to get them food and other essentials. But that wasn't living, and the only way they would be able to continue their lives as normal would be once Voldemort had been defeated for good. They weren't so naive to think he'd be a benevolent leader should he win, with the stories they'd heard from Rhea.
"We can reasonably gather Daphne is supposed to give feedback on how we've reacted to this information… Voldemorts not stupid, he'll know we'll know that you're marked," said Harry.
"So we learn basic Occlumency and wait for a summons," said Vira. "Not the greatest end to the summer…"
"Not like we have much choice," said Ron.
Harry hummed his agreement. "Best to be prepared—Occlumency will be a useful skill outside of Voldemort, anyway."
The rest of the day went by with Daphne teaching them the basics of Occlumency and Legilimency, so that they'd have a firm grasp on either side of the magic. Harry took to Legilimency with frightening competence, able to wriggle his way through Ron's thoughts—which mostly consisted of Daphne and his worry for her or his family—without so much a sliver of backlash. He had a harder time of breaking through Vira and Daphne's defences, but at points, even Daphne had trouble keeping him from her thoughts, especially surface level attacks. Harry called it quits with his Legilimency once Daphne looked at him as if he were The Dark Lord himself.
Harry went to bed shortly after dinner, into his own room that he rarely used anymore—he typically fell asleep in the living room with Vira or, on occasion, in her room when they'd spent the night talking about anything and everything. And even as he lay reading through an obscure tome on the Dark Arts, he couldn't shake the way Daphne looked at him…
As he read further and further, none of the writings felt all that out of reach. Harry felt he could perform each and every one of them without so much trouble as a few practice tries. There was something about the Dark Arts; he'd always had an affinity toward it, taking to spells of devastation as someone would with a simple jinx you'd be taught as a first year. And, now as he'd been noticed by Voldemort himself for his prowess with a wand, he questioned whether he was destined for something beyond a heroic role in this upcoming war…
It was close to midnight when Harry shut the tome and turned over in his bed to go to sleep, but stopped when there was a knock at his door.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"Are you decent?" It was Vira.
"Er—yeah." He grabbed his wand and tapped the lantern on his bedside table so it'd light up the room. "Come in."
Vira hardly needed his permission to come into his room. They'd slept in the same bed together so many times, especially after Rhea's death, that nothing was amiss should either one wake in the other's bed.
"Hi…" she said once in the room and closed the door. Her comment on whether he was decent felt rather ironic, as she was dressed in only one of Harry's old tops; which, as she wasn't much shorter than him, barely covered her.
"Hi," said Harry with a tired smile.
"Daphne—"
"It wasn't Daphne's fault… I… it's how I felt."
Vira came to sit on the end of his bed, taking his hand in hers. "What d'you mean?"
"I… felt powerful. Like the fact I could just slip through barriers Daphne had taken years to learn in a matter of hours… I dunno…"
"You think you're like Him," supplied Vira with a frown.
"She said I looked like Him."
"And so what? What's that Muggle saying—don't judge a book by its cover?"
Harry looked away. "But it comes so naturally to me, all of this—especially the Dark Arts—how can I not think that maybe I'm destined—"
"You're not destined to become a Dark Lord," said Vira forcefully. "Yeah, you can be brash and your temper can go from zero to a hundred at the flick of a switch… and yeah, maybe you drink too much—"
"I don't drink too much."
Vira tried to suppress a giggle. "You had more to drink than Daphne this morning."
"OK, I might have a small problem," said Harry with a smile.
"As I was saying, none of your so-called flaws," Vira said this whilst making air quotes, "show you becoming a Dark Lord, Harry."
Harry smiled at Vira, who'd been by his side throughout everything. Never once had she wavered from him and he found himself thinking of his chat with Ron a few days earlier… "Thanks," he said, looking into her kind eyes.
This doesn't mean you can drink in front of Ginny tomorrow."
"I think I'll manage a day without it."
"We'll see, Mr Potter."
"That we will, Ms Black."
A brief silence came over them as Vira continued to rub her thumb over Harry's hand.
"What will we do if we become His targets?" asked Harry.
"What we've always done: stick together."
"Will you stay here tonight?"
Vira looked at him with a chiding smile. "I came in dressed for bed, silly. D'you think I can sleep without my favourite pillow?"
"I was being polite," said Harry, grinning.
"Sure you were."
Harry folded his arms and huffed like a petulant child.
"Oh, is big bad Mr Potter in a grump?" asked Vira in a babying voice, standing and looking ready to pounce.
Harry turned his head, attempting in vain to keep a broad smile from coming across his face.
"Nothing the cuddle monster can't fix!" said Vira as she leapt onto Harry like a cat and tackled him into the mattress, wrapping her arms around him as she laid on top of him.
Harry brought his hands to the sides of Vira's abdomen and started to tickle her, causing her to screech and howl with laughter. "Stop it, Harry! Please!" she yelped, and tried to escape his clutches with dirty tactics of her own. She grabbed his elbows and pinned them above his head as she sat down on his stomach, panting.
"I have you—ahh."
Harry swiftly spun them around, pinning Vira below him with a triumphant smirk.
Vira got very red very quickly, trying in vain to untangle herself. It didn't work and they remained there, with Harry on top of her as she stilled. They kept unwavering eye contact as Harry felt his cheeks start to burn under her intense gaze. Several moments went by of nothing but heavy breathing and stares when, suddenly, Vira's helpless look turned into a mischievous grin and she lurched forward and planted a kiss upon Harry's unsuspecting lips!
Vira, in Harry's dulled and surprised state, tried to kick her way back on top of him, but failed as he kept a firm hold of her.
Again, Vira looked almost helpless and now without any new trick up her sleeve. Harry's mind raced at what his next move should be, and, without thinking, he slowly leant down and returned the chaste kiss Vira had given him with a passionate one. Vira returned it, and a moment turned into eternity as they were locked in an entirely new battle. It lasted all of five seconds, and Harry let his harsh grasp of her go as he broke their connection and let his forehead drop against hers.
"I've wanted to do that for so long," he said breathlessly.
Vira brought her hand up to his cheek, smiling softly. "I know."
She giggled, soft and low and so, so perfect. "I've always been yours, Harry. Since the moment we met in that park all those years ago, I've been yours and I'll be yours 'till the moment we say goodbye to this world and move on to our next great adventure." Vira continued to caress Harry's cheek. "And even in the beyond I'll be yours…"
Words failed Harry and a grin took hold of him. How could he ever do without her?
"You dopey man. Always with a response, who knew a mere kiss could bring you to your knees?"
Harry pressed a kiss against Vira's forehead. "You make life worth living, Vira… You've helped me see the beauty of life—my reason to be here is to serve you… I would level mountains and tame oceans, should you ask. I would tear the world apart to see you smile—"
"All I'll ever need is you. Just you, Harry. I don't care for these displays of love; I want not the world and all its gold… All I'll ever need is you." And Harry was brought back to bliss by Vira who wrapped her arms and legs around him and continued their embrace throughout the night…
A/N: Well, another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it and I would love to hear your thought on it.
I am going away next week so I don't know if I'll have another chapter up before then.